A review by scarlettreadsbooks
Shine, by Jessica Jung
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I first heard that Jessica Jung had written a book all about the K Pop industry, I had to read it! Jessica was in one of the most famous K Pop Girl Groups on the planet, Girls Generation. I was such a fan when I was a teenager.
When I first started reading Shine, I wasn’t sure if it was a book for me. But by the end I absolutely loved it. We follow Rachel, a K Pop trainee who’s whole life has been dedicated to becoming an Idol. The book discusses a lot about the industry itself, such as the harmful environment all trainees are subject to and the sexism faced for the female Idols. It’s worth noting that there are a lot of toxic topics, such as overworking to the point of exhaustion and eating disorders.
It was by far one of the cheesiest books I’ve read this year, but it was a really great YA with a lot of drama 🍿
And there is a sequel coming out this year?! YES PLEASE!
Thank you so much to @electricmonkeybooks for sending me this #gifted copy!
When I first started reading Shine, I wasn’t sure if it was a book for me. But by the end I absolutely loved it. We follow Rachel, a K Pop trainee who’s whole life has been dedicated to becoming an Idol. The book discusses a lot about the industry itself, such as the harmful environment all trainees are subject to and the sexism faced for the female Idols. It’s worth noting that there are a lot of toxic topics, such as overworking to the point of exhaustion and eating disorders.
It was by far one of the cheesiest books I’ve read this year, but it was a really great YA with a lot of drama 🍿
And there is a sequel coming out this year?! YES PLEASE!
Thank you so much to @electricmonkeybooks for sending me this #gifted copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism